The story never told
by Catherine-PJO
Summary: It's not an idea you haven't seen before. It's the "prequel" to PJO and how Sally met Poseidon. In my way of course. R&R :
1. First sight

**Hi guys. As you can see below, I couldn't stay away from writing for long. What this story is about? Well, it's something I haven't found written right, so thought I'd try it. A "prequel", if you will, to PJO: the story of how Sally Jackson met Poseidon and everything. I found it a challenge and it intrigued me. For the outcome? You'll be the judges of that. Before I give you this chapter, there's one more thing I need to say. You can skip and not think about it at all, but I need to say it.**

**This story is dedicated to one of my best friends who lost her life a week ago. She was the one to push me to publish things here, so for the ones that like my stories about Percabeth and Meliam, you own reading them to her. R.I.P Pikachu (my nickname for her)**

**Chapter 1: First sight**

**Sally's POV**

_*ring ring*_

"_Good morning New Yorkers! It's seven already, so up, up, up. You all have your jobs to attend to, just like us here at the radio station. We all..." _I slammed the alarm clock as hard as I could and turned on the other side, even though I knew I had to get up for work. Groaning, I unwillingly slipped from the safety of the covers and continued with my morning routine. When I was done feeding my cat, I was on my way to work.

Walking through the streets of Manhattan and using its public transportation to get to the shop had always been a nightmare. Traffic at this time of the day was immense since everyone had the same goal as me: get to work. Standing like zombies and very close to one another, people looked as willing to reach their destinations as I was. I observed them from my position at the back of the bus. Some were yawning, other rubbing their eyes trying to push the sleep away, some had caved in their eyes' wish and fell asleep against the window and lastly there was a slight minority talking on their cell phones, a new fashion I had noticed spreading nowadays. The best of choices was to sleep against the window if you ask me though.

When it was time to get off the bus to continue on foot, I had to push my way out. People kept coming in, while I was trying to squeeze myself out. Eventually, though, I did it and was on my way to the shop. "Sweet on America" was a candy shop a block away from the Central Park. Working there wasn't the best of jobs, but it provided a steady income to a drop-out like me. Until I proceeded to make my plans true, it was a good way to make a living.

The moment I walked in through the back door as always, I was hit by the euphoric scent of all the sweets in the front and the smiling face of my boss, Mrs Ruby. I went to greet her but she stopped me putting her index finger up. On the other hand she was holding on the shop's phone and kept ordering stuff we'd need in the near future. Once she was done, she turned to me.

"Good morning, Sally." You came in early again, I see." She said checking her watch and kept smiling. Mrs Ruby was the sweetest person I'd ever met so owning a candy shop couldn't be more suitable for her.

"Good morning to you too, Mrs Ruby. The bus ride was quick I guess." I replied and moved on to deposit my bad on the counter. I hadn't realized I hadn't moved an inch from when I entered till that moment.

"Of course..." She trailed off and by the tone in her voice I could tell she didn't actually believe it. In all truth, I just didn't like being late in any possible appointment or work I had to attend, so showing up late at the shop wasn't an option. In order to do that, though, I had to take one early bus, so it made me arrive a few minutes early.

"Is there anything specific you want, before I start on the usual?" I asked putting on my apron.

"Oh yes. Could you take charge of the cashier for me till I get back? I have some bills to pay." She requested all too kindly even thought she was the boss.

"Of course. Not many will come at this hour anyway." I said and went to sit behind the counter smiling at her.

"Thank you, my girl. I'll be back soon." She said and slowly made her way out of the shop. With the pace she was going I really doubted that she'd be back soon as she said. I just grabbed a book from my bag before returning to my seat behind the counter. A chapter or two later...

"Excuse me...?" I didn't realize that man's presence till he made it know by speaking to me. I hadn't heard him enter or walk over to the counter behind of which I was sitting. I quickly got up startled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hear you enter." I explained trying to justify myself.

"I should be the one apologizing for startling you." He said and it was the first time I looked up at his face. But when I did, I couldn't avert my eyes from his. An amazing green. A mixture of blue and green leaning towards green though. Just like the sea close to the shore.

"Um...I.." I cleared my throat trying to regain my composure. "How can I help you? Candy for the kids?" I asked desperately trying to avoid looking in his eyes again.

"Actually no. They're for me." He said looking down embarrassed. His black hair was the only thing I could see because his head was bent down like that.

"A grown man, but a child within, huh?" I asked giggling and he was even more embarrassed. Was I really flirting with a customer? "Which would you like?"

"I have no preference. Pick whatever you want." He said and lifted his head again.

"How about some of these?" I asked showing him my favourite. "Chocolate always makes things better." I also commented.

"Sure. Anything you want." He replied and I got to work trying to put some of that candy in a box. All the while I could feel his eyes on me, but didn't dare lift my head to meet his gaze. Otherwise, I would get lost in those eyes again.

"Is this enough?" I asked having put a good amount of sweets in there.

"Yes, thank you." He said smiling. I nodded and closed up the box before weighing it and giving it to him. After he paid, he once again grinned at me and headed for the door. But once there, he stopped. "Thank you Sally." He beamed before walking out.

How did he know my name? I wasn't wearing my name tag after all. But despite the fact I couldn't understand how he could possibly now my name, hearing it come out of his lips made a smile drape along my face. I took my seat again and sometime later the other employee arrived. My best friend, Haley. Behind her, Mrs Ruby was coming in too with a guy on her two bringing in some four.

"Oh Haley dear, good morning. Sally, why are you grinning like that?" She asked me an I hadn't realized I was till she pointed it out.

"Hello, Mrs Ruby. I was about to ask her the same thing." Haley said raising her eyebrows at me. I was saved momentarily by the groan of the guy carrying the flour.

"Excuse me ladies, but where do you need this?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"In the back honey. Haley, could you show him?" Mrs Ruby asked nicely. Haley just nodded and led the guy at the back. "Now why don't you tell me what happened while I was away?" Did she really have to go back to that?

"A customer came." I answered as bluntly as I could.

"And...?" She trailed off expectantly. She may be sweet and old, but she observed a lot. Too much for my liking in that moment.

"And I serviced him. That's my job after all." I answered sneaking a peak at the door where a few minutes ago that man had exited from.

"Oh yeah? Then why are you blushing and looking at the door if that's all that happened?" Haley questioned coming to stand next to me as Mrs Ruby paid the man and he smiled waving at Haley before he walked out. "You can answer now."

"And you can avoid making out with the delivery boy at the back." Our boss said giggling and I joined while Haley blushed. I hadn't noticed the flour on her shirt till she tried to dust it off.

"Yeah... Anyway, what happened with the customer?" She tried to dodge the subject.

"Nothing happened. He was just..." I trailed off trying to find the words.

"Just what?" Haley insisted.

"Amazing I guess. Kind, handsome, he even somehow knew my name even though I wasn't wearing my name tag." I answered letting all my excitement flow through my voice. Haley squealed and hugged me, while Mrs Ruby rolled her eyes smiling.

"What's his name?" She asked and in that moment I realized I hadn't asked his name. I could fully describe him, but his name I didn't know.

"I... I don't know." I confessed and my face fell.

…**. And the first chapter is over. Now, if you were careful in the books (unlike me), you'd know Sally met Poseidon in Montauk during some summer vacation. That's how it'll happen. This is just a "first sight" as the title says. Hope you liked it.**

**Catherine & Tony P.**


	2. Montauk

**Chapter 2: Montauk**

**Sally's POV**

_**Eight months later**_

Days passed and the unnamed man didn't come back. The days turned into weeks, the weeks to months and eight months later he still hadn't turned up. I would look up every time the door would open and a customer would walk in, hoping I'd come across those mesmerizing eyes. As time flew by, his appearance and voice became dull in my mind, but his eyes never did. I would ream about him every single night that passed and everything about him would change. Everything. Apart from his eyes. Those held me captive from the first moment I saw them.

Haley and Mrs Ruby told me to give up on my hopes. They said that the guy could be just a New York passer-by, a married man or just a guy that flirted with me a little without looking for anything. I didn't want to believe the last two of course. I could stand the first, but not the other two. The way time went by without him making an appearance, Haley's and Mrs Ruby's whining about me thinking of him became more and more, till I forced myself to believe them. I tried to forget I ever serviced him that morning. _Tried _being the keyword. With his eyes haunting me in my sleep I couldn't forget him, but I could ignore his memory.

And so I did. Ignored his eyes as much as I could. Ignored the though of him. Haley tried to help me in that by arranging blind-dates for me with friends of friends and so on. She even invited me to go with her, her boyfriend, Nick, and some other people to Montauk where Nick had a house and we could stay in. I knew she was interested in hooking me up with someone from the singles guys in the "gang", as she called the little group of us, but I was going anyway. I needed the getaway.

"Excited?" Haley asked me clapping continuously in front of my face.

"Not as much as you obviously. I'm just glad for this getaway." I replied honestly. There was no point in pretending around her anyway.

"Girls, hop on. We should get going." Nick said closing the back before getting in the car. He was a great guy. The greatest Haley had ever dated. Which was probably why they had been together for over a year. Haley and I nodded at him before she skipped over to the front passenger door and I just stood there for a second, before getting in too.

The next hours were spent with Nick driving while Haley and I kept singing along to whatever was on the radio with our "amazing" voices. How he didn't throw us out of the car was a wonder. He just kept smiling. The rest of the "gang" caught up with us when we were having a break midway. From that point and on, Haley was trying to see who I liked from the guys. Not if, but who. She was sure I liked someone. But thankfully when we reached Nick's house, she stopped but only because he dragged her somewhere and I was sure I didn't know where that was.

Not bothering to look for them since I had a pretty good idea what they were up to, I just found my room, unpacked everything while the others went out and straight to the sea. I wasn't in the mood though, so I took my notepad and went for a walk down the beach. When I was far enough not to hear anything other than the sounds the sea and waves were making, I plopped down on the sand. I stopped moving for a moment to embrace the nature around me. I heard footsteps behind me, which made me tense and bring the notepad close to me in case I needed to use it as a weapon to hit whoever came my way. The person, though, just came to sit next to me.

"Hello there." A man's voice said and I turned to look at him. He was very handsome with his surfer's suit on, blond hair and blue eyes. A god on earth for most women... Not me though. He wasn't anywhere near the green-eyed man I had serviced eight months ago. But I acted kindly anyway.

"Hello to you too." I said smiling and shook his extended hand.

"My name's Rob and you must be new around here 'cause I haven't seen you before." He said pushing his hand in his hair flexing his arm muscles. Did he really expect me to fall for him because of that? Apparently so...

"I'm staying for the summer with Nick Taylor and his friends." I replied looking in the horizon again.

"Ah, so you're Nick's girl, huh?" He asked and I thought there was some sort of disappointment in his voice.

"No, that's Haley. I'm her best friend, Sally." I quickly said. I didn't like people sad. It was just one of the things I hated.

"That's awesome." He exclaimed and then looked away blushing. "I mean, it's great I was hitting on my childhood friend's girlfriend."

"So you were hitting on me?" I teased.

"Well yeah. A little." He added quickly which made me laugh. "Come on, don't laugh. I was just..." He trailed off trying to find the words.

"Pick up a girl." I finished for him.

"Exactly." He said and then: "No, I mean I was just..."

"Don't worry about it. I have to go though. Nice meeting you, Rob" I said getting up and dusted myself off accidentally dropping my notepad. He got it and got up giving it to me. "Thank you."

"No problem. I'll see you around." He asked hopeful.

"Maybe." I said and left him there walking back to Nick's house where I found him and Haley sitting at the balcony with the rest of the gang.

"Where were you, Sally?" Haley asked smirking. Oh no she didn't...

"I was at the beach in a part with nothing but sand and the sea, where I could write in peace until I met the lovely Rob, which you of course had nothing to do with, right?" I asked and her smirk turned into a blush.

"Of course not. Right Nick?" She asked her boyfriend who was sitting next to her.

"Right." He breathed yelping.

"That's not true. I hear you two saying that Nick should call Rob and tell him to come down the "slow" side of the beach so that Sally meets him." A guy from the gang said, I think Kyle was his name, said exposing the conspiracy.

"Snitch." Haley and Nick both retorted glaring.

"He seemed like a nice guy if you exclude the big ego." I said and my best friend's head snapped in my direction.

"You liked him?" She asked surprised and got _that _look. She wanted me to tell her what happened. "Tell me everything." She said like I expected and led me to my room where I told her of my little interaction with Rob. "You definitely flirted with him, so you must like him."

"Maybe a little. He looks like a player though, Hales. It may be just a summer fling if anything happens between us, but I don't want to be played with." I said looking out the window.

"How about you give me some time to gather specific info about him from Nick before you decide what you'll do with him?" She suggested.

"Okay. Don't expect much though. You haven't seen him and I'm telling you. He looks like a player." I warned.

"Aren't you the one that says sometimes things aren't what they look like?" She asked.

"No, that was Euripides. I just support that saying." I clarified.

"Same thing." She said getting up and muttering something like _"you and your Greek writers or whatever"_. At the door she stopped and turned to look at me. "Aren't you coming?"

"Nah, I'll stay here and write some. Thank you for offering though." I replied smiling at her. She walked out closing the door behind her knowing I need my privacy in order to write. I loved her for that.

Before starting to write I went to the window and observed the sea for a little while. It was calm, yet the few waves that existed showed some nervousness. Nothing much, just a stirring... It was the only thing indicating there was life around her at this hour. That and the noises everyone downstairs made. Nothing else. No human, bird, dog, cat or any other life form was around here and even though that should make me feel scared about my safety, I was thrilled. This peace and quiet was exactly what I needed after years in the middle of New York where there never was a single second of complete silence.

I sat down at the porch of the window, brought my notepad in my lap and continued my story. I got lost in the world of my characters where everything was controlled by my mind and nothing happened with no reason. Parents didn't die when the characters where little. Uncles didn't suddenly get so sick the characters had to drop out and take care of them till they died. But there was this man, the unknown man, that conquered the girl's mind and invaded her dreams after leaving her, but eventually he came back in her life as suddenly as he did the first time.

A chapter of two later I stopped writing because my eyes barely held open and I was yawning a lot. I closed the notepad, pleased with myself, but before I got up to go to bed, I glanced out the window one last time, which made my breath catch up in my throat. I had spent months dreaming about him even though the only thing I remembered then was his eyes. Seeing him walk on that beach less that half a mile away from the house I was staying at made everything come back.

I dropped everything on the bed and run out the room as fast as I could. I passed by the people that were still awake not noticing who they were, but I thought I heard Haley's voice calling me on my way out the door. My legs took me down the beach on their own accord as my eyes searched for his figure. But I never found him. I reached the spot I had seen him at through my window and he wasn't there. I fell on my knees n desperation. I couldn't have imagined it since I didn't remember what he looked like until I saw him a few minute before. But then again, if I didn't imagine it, where was he?

"Sally!" Haley screamed kneeling beside me and pulling me into her arms.

"I'm fine Hales." I reassured her staring blankly around in case I just saw him. No such luck.

"Then why did you run off?" She asked turning my head to her so I would look at her.

"I just thought I saw something, but I was wrong. I'm going to bed now if you don't mind." I said and got up heading for the house and my room leaving whoever had come out to look for me there. I got into bed thinking of what had happened. Was it true or had I got so lost in my story that I imagined it all? Before long, the exhaustion from the trip and the late hour kicked in and I fell asleep with the image of the man I longed to see again as I saw or imagined him a little while before.

**What do you think so far? Personally I love it, but I'm also biased. Tell me, well us, your opinion?**

**Catherine & Tony P.**


	3. Haley gets pissed

**Happy New Year everyone! :)**

**That said, I want to answer to a question raised by some of the ones who reviewed the story. The questions is why this is rated M. The answer is that I'm crazy :D and with that I mean that we could add a little sex scene or anything. For now it's just some swearing here and there, but because we never know, the story is rated M. **

**Chapter 3: Haley gets pissed**

**Sally's POV**

For the first time in months, I dreamed of him, my unknown man, exactly as he was. Half a head taller than me, black wavy short hair, manly dimples that made him seem so young, a sweet smile and the never changing feature: his green eyes. My personal prison. My dream was basically a repeat of the previous night when I either saw or imagined him, only he was still there when I reached the beach. We talked, or rather I talked and he listened with nods and smiles since I didn't remember how his voice sounded. It was a pretty good dream, but when I woke up and was brought back to reality, it left a yearning and craving. I wanted that night to be exactly as I dreamed in reality and not stay as just a manifestation of my mind.

That yearning made me want to stay in bed, under the covers, where I could pretend for a while that he'd be somewhere close-by. But being me, I got up and went to make breakfast for everyone. Time was irrelevant in that moment. No one was awake and I just went straight to the kitchen in order to check what I had in hand before I started on the big breakfast for all ten of us, and all that not looking at the clock even once. The sun was shining so it was after seven but also before noon. Or so I calculated.

I didn't know what the rest, Haley excluded, liked so pancakes, a common breakfast meal, seemed the perfect choice. I put the coffee on the making and retrieved the ingredients for the meal, humming to myself while working. Nothing was coherent in my tune, just random melodies to keep my mind occupied. Halfway, I faintly heard the balcony door opening and someone walk in, but I didn't mind it too much. Just kept on.

"Smells nice." I looked up to find Rob standing there while looking and gesturing at the already made pancakes. I just smiled.

"Good morning. How did you get in here?" I asked even though I already knew the answer having heard him.

"The balcony. I always do when Nick is here." He responded and came closer to the counter I was working on. "That really smells nice."

"Want some?" I offered politely.

"Hadn't I made it obvious?" He replied with a question. "If it's enough for everyone else of course."

"You did and it is." I answered smiling, but when I turned away to put some on a plate for him, the image of my unnamed man filled my mind and my smile disappeared as I stilled.

"Are you okay?" Rob asked, concern evident in his voice, and got closer to me. I thought for just a moment before I turned to him a smile playing on my lips again.

"I'm fine. I just didn't ask how much you wanted." I lied but he seemed to buy it. He told me the quantity he wanted and went back to his previous position behind the counter as I served. In my moment of thought I figured it didn't hurt to have a summer flirt with Rob whether what I saw last night was real or in my head. Either it wasn't in a manifestation of my mind and I'd see him again or I'd have a summer fling with a guy that seemed nicer by the minute. What was bad about that?

"I don't need to tell you that it's delicious, right?" Rob asked with his mouth full. It was funny and so childish the way the ends of his lips lifted up to form a little smile. Just like a child on Christmas day waiting to see what Santa brought and placed under the tree.

"You definitely don't. Everyone does when they taste whatever Sally has made." Haley said making me blush. She walked in right after Nick, who went to greet Rob. They were longtime friends after all.

"Good to see you man." He exclaimed bumping fists with him.

"Yap. It's been two whole years, huh?" Rob replied equally enthusiastic after swallowing.

"Almost. I was here the Christmas before last, remember? But I couldn't come last summer because of that girl over there." Nick said grinning like a fool while looked at Haley who, like me earlier, was blushing furiously next to me.

"The famous Haley I've heard so much about, I'm guessing." Rob leaned over the counter to greet my best friend. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Rob." He shook her hand slightly.

"Nice to meet you, Rob." She replied and leaned in to whisper in my ear: _"Nick said he's anything but a player. That was just a façade." _I nodded and we looked back at the guys.

"Can I have some of that too, Sally?" Nick asked eyeing up the pancakes dangerously. Seemed I wasn't the only one to have noticed because Haley and Rob burst out laughing with me. "Hey, I'm hungry." He pouted.

"Of course, baby." Haley cooed and served herself and Nick, knowing I wouldn't eat till I was done making first. But the others didn't.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" Rob was the one to ask, but Nick was nodding next to him. Haley answered for me.

"She will. Once she turns off everything…" I was about to add cleaning everything too, but: "… and we're doing the cleaning _after _we eat. You made it." She filled in looking at me. The guys nodded and kept on eating while I kept making. The rest of the gang came and took a trail too, thanking me in the process.

Once i was done, i took a share myself and sat with Haley, Nick and Rob who previously had been talking about how they had been these past years. Well, Nick and Rob did the talking. Haley just sat close to her boyfriend, flashing smiles or nodding in agreement when needed just to keep the guys' conversation going. I sat close to her and let the boys keep on, not really paying attention to the words that left each of their mouths. Slowly, Haley slipped her arm away from Nick's and sat close to me ignoring the boys. Like before, she leaned in to me and whispered.

"Like I said before he's a great guy." She gestured with her head to Rob. "Nothing close to a player as you originally thought, so what are you gonna do?" She asked in a low voice so that the guys wouldn't hear us. Not that they paid attention to us…

"We'll see. If he makes a move, I just won't blow him off." I answered shrugging. She looked at me closely before moving on to another matter. A matter that might have been bugging her all night.

"What happened last night?" She asked while moving away from the two guys.

"I thought I saw something. That's all." I replied quickly.

"You're talking to me Sal. I know you wouldn't just run off…" She said skeptically. "Unless… You thought you saw _him_!" She beamed at me and her eyes went wide. Why did she have to know me so damn well? "You did. That's why you can't look at me."

"Okay, okay. I did. But the worst part is that I don't know if what I saw was real or something my mind came up with." I admitted looking outside. I just couldn't look at her.

"So you think that you could try with Rob and if mystery-guy appears you'll go with him." There was no question in Haley's voice.

"Since you have me all figured out, why ask me?" I questioned mostly myself since she wasn't really paying attention to me.

"Don't you think it's a little selfish? I mean what if mystery-guy is real and you go with him? What will happen to Rob?" She asked, an accusing tone in her otherwise melodic voice. If I wanted to be honest with myself I hadn't thought of that. I wasn't sure if it was because I thought last night was my mind's fault or because I just didn't care what happened with Rob. If it was the second, Haley was definitely right. I was selfish.

"Hales, I…" I started, but was unable to finish my sentence.

"You hadn't thought about that, had you?" She asked and I looked down in shame confirming. "What happened to the Sally Jackson I know? You'd never do that to someone!" She whispered-yelled causing the two guys in the room to look at us confused. "What are you looking at? Girl talk. Go back to your guy talk." She waved them off and turned to me expectantly.

"Haley, I don't even know if what I saw was real. It might be just a game my mind chose to play, in which case nothing would affect him." I tried to defend myself. From the look on her face, I could see that it wasn't enough.

"But what if it was? Then it will affect him." She pressed.

"I guess he'll just go his way? You can't expect me and him to get married or whatever. We just met." I said a little bit too loud. I turned my gaze to where the boys previously were, but they weren't there anymore. Probably decided to give us some privacy for which I'd have to thank them.

"This isn't even about Rob. Sally, I honestly don't care what happens to Rob. He may be my boyfriend's best friend, but you're _my_ best friend and you'd never use someone like that. Not before that mystery-guy appeared at the shop one morning eight months ago. And the worst part is that you haven't seen him since that _ONE _time. It would be bad enough if you changed because you were dating him, but you've reached and surpassed every limit. You changed because of the thought of seeing him again. It's outrageous!" She concluded yelling.

We sat there in silence for a little while. She was glaring at me intently while all I did was try to avoid that look. I had been constantly adding to her pile and that insensitivity of mine towards Rob was the last blow. I had infuriated her. Haley. The one person that would put a smile on her face even in the most difficult of situations. She was royally pissed off at me and that yelling wasn't just a sudden outburst on her part. Her frustration with me had been building up for months and only then did I notice. How could I have been so ignorant?

"Aren't you gonna say anything?" She screamed making me flinch.

"What do you want me to say, Hales?" I asked not knowing what she wanted to hear.

"Any-fucking-thing! Just talk to me. Like you had been before that dude came by the store!" She threw her hands up in frustration. I waited till I could find what to say. Only one thing ran through my mind though, so that's what came out of my lips.

"I'm sorry." I simply said looking down, too ashamed to lift my eyes off the floor.

"That's all? THAT'S ALL!" she screamed and Nick decided to save me in that moment by coming in and going to her. She relaxed slightly when he wrapped his arms around her and that was evident, but it wasn't enough to break off her glare.

"What happened?" He asked looking down at her even though he couldn't see her face.

"Ask her." She turned around in his arms and pointed at me. He looked at me for only a moment before pulling her to his chest and nodded with his head to the door signaling it was okay for me to go. I mouthed a "thank you" before walking outside only to find Rob standing there and looking at me sympathetically.

"Anything wrong?" He asked concerned.

"Many things are wrong but anyway." I sighed and went out to the balcony where I sat on a bench. He soon followed my example and sat close to me. "We fought. Haley and I never fight."

"There's a first time for everything. Isn't that what they say?" He asked nudging me playfully. That action just served to make me feel even worse because it was proof that Haley's words were true. If I wanted to pretend they weren't, my last chance of doing so vanished in that moment. Because no matter how sweet Rob was in that moment, all I wanted was my mystery-guy to be real and around here.

"Yeah…" That was all I could think to say.

"Don't worry. You two will be fine by the end of the day." He encouraged me smiling. After a few moments of looking at me in the eye, he spoke. "Would you like to go for a swim with me?"

"I…" I wanted to say yes, but that would only confirm Haley's sayings earlier. Unless… "I have to tell you something. If you still want to go a swim, we will. Okay?"

"Sure…" He said nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Haley and I fought because she thinks I'll use you." I started but he cut me off too quickly.

"Use me? What do you mean?" He asked and seemed a lot more interested then.

"I was about to explain so let me, please?" He nodded and let me continue. "To cut a long story short, there is this guy I'm kinda obsessed with, as Haley calls it, and I think I saw him last night, but I'm not sure."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with me?" He asked when I took a pause to gather my thoughts.

"Before last night, I was thinking that it'd be okay for me to go out with you, but now… If what I saw last night was real and that guy is around here somewhere, I will go with him if he asks, so basically in the time I don't know if he is, I'd be using you to pass the time…" I finished and looked at him expecting him to start cursing at me but he never did.

"So let me get this straight. Either that guy is around here and I spent time with you till or if he asks you out or I spend time with you till you get bored of me?" He asked after thinking about it for a while.

"Well… yeah." I whispered unsure. Of what? I had no idea.

"I don't see anything wrong in that." He said shrugging.

"You don't?" I asked surprised.

"No. I mean I like you and all, but I never ask a girl out expecting much. That comes later. So some great time during the summer with a beautiful girl like you is fine by me." He explained making me blush a little.

"So you're okay with this?" I asked to make sure. I couldn't agree more but I had to make sure.

"Absolutely. Now how about that swim?" He asked after he got up and offered me his hand which I took and got up as well.

"Let me get changed and I'll be right back." I requested already heading inside.

"I'll be right here waiting." He smiled. I was going to hell for this…

**So what do you think?**

**Catherine & Tony P.**


	4. Date?

**Chapter 4: Date?**

**Sally's POV**

Haley definitely wouldn't like the fact that I would still go out with Rob, but she might be a little less pissed at me considering I explained to him what he was getting himself into. At least that's what I hoped for when I told Rob about my obsession, as Haley loved to call my mystery-guy. I tried to push him out of my mind and concentrate on Rob since I would soon be going out with him for a swim once I was ready. Like he had said, he was there waiting in the balcony right on the spot I left him.

"Ready?" he asked pointing towards the sea. I checked my bag and myself once before nodding. "Wanna go anywhere in particular?"

"Not really. Just somewhere quiet." I answered, but when I thought about it, I added: "Not so quiet though."

"Quiet, but not quiet. Got it." He repeated chuckling.

"That didn't make any sense, huh?" I asked once we got in his car.

"Not really, but I think I have just the place." He said and brought the car back to life with just a turn of the key. I didn't ask what that place was 'cause even if he told me, I would have no idea where that'd be. So I just settled back in my seat, listened to whatever was on the radio and laughed with Rob's jokes and funny stories about him and Nick. It was so easy to be around him, so easy I could see myself having a relationship with him, if the mystery-guy didn't exist. That was a big _**if**_.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked after a big pause. I turned to him and flashed him a smile.

"Just that you're easy to be around." I answered truthfully withholding the thoughts concerning the mystery-guy of course.

"That's good, right?" He wondered aloud raising one of his eyebrows.

"Yap. That's good." I reassured him and rubbed his shoulder. Maybe I was encouraging him a little bit too much, but since he knew how things were, my guilt was eased a bit. Only a bit though.

"We're here…" He trailed off after a while turning towards a parking lot to a small diner of some sort.

The place was wonderful. The diner was at the right side of a small bay, threes all around it providing a comfortable shade to whoever decided to have a meal there. The scent of fish filled the air, but it was nowhere near uncomfortable. Surprisingly, it just added an aura of authenticity to the place. I couldn't see much of the front from the spot I was, but I was sure I would soon be faced with the rest.

"What do you think?" He asked getting my bag from his trunk.

"Did you bring me here to swim or eat?" I asked instead of answering.

"I thought we could combine those two. I'm sure we'll be hungry after the swim and Ronnie's is the best place after something like that." He seemed to blush a little, but quickly composed himself and cleared his throat. "You didn't answer my question though."

"It's wonderful. Do I get to see the front." I asked as he gave me my bag.

"You bet. Right this way." He said seriously showing me the way to the beach.

It was magnificent. Exactly what I needed. The beach had many different coloured layers of sand. Close to the water it was almost white and as the beach went further and further into the land, it became darker and darker till the point it reached the dark brown dirt from which beautiful flowers came out, standing tall and proud. The rocky edges on either side plus the small hills surrounded by lively green trees gave the bay a different perspective. It was almost as if the water was trapped among pieces of land with no escape forming a lake. The only thing giving away the reality of this wondrous sight was the small gap between the edges of the bay from where the ocean unwrapped endlessly.

"I'm taking that you like it?" He asked after giving me a sufficient amount of time to appreciate the beauty of the place.

"It's perfect. How come it's not so crowded?" I asked confused because I could only see very few people along the beach.

"The sea is calm here and most are in Montauk to surf." He said shrugging. "You could also add that only few know about it." He winked at me playfully.

"It's a really nice place." I said still amazed by the view in front of me.

"It is. How about we go sit on the sand?" He suggested. I nodded and he put his hand on my back to guide me forward. I allowed it, because friends did that. Right?

"Do you have a specific spot?" I asked pointing towards the endless, as it seemed to me, beach.

"Not really. Just lay your towel down wherever you like. Here it's good?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's good." I said and he laid down his towel before he also took his shirt off throwing it on his towel. I followed his example and soon I was just in my swimsuit with my things down on the sand like him. I even caught myself checking him out and admiring his body for a moment. The body of a surfer. Muscles all over, but nothing over the top.

"Aren't we going in?" Rob asked when he saw me sitting down.

"Actually, would you mind if just sat here for a while?" I asked blushing.

"Not at all. I'll go catch up with Ronnie and tell him to prepare something for later. I'm guessing you want to write a little…?" He trailed off adding a questioning tone to his voice.

"Yeah…. A little." Are you sure you don't mind?" I asked, my guilt intensified in that moment.

"It's fine really. I chose this spot 'cause I thought it'd inspire you more…" He said rubbing the back of his neck nervously. I was at a loss of words.

"No problem. Enjoy." He smiled before walking towards the diner.

I didn't waste any time. I took my pen and notepad out, closed my eyes letting myself sink in my own little world before starting to write. A world made and fully controlled by me. The place where Rob brought me seemed to have invaded my mind and the next chapter of my story centered around a place very similar to that one. With a few adjustments and details it became a small heaven. The perfect spot for a romantic date which my next chapter was all about. I didn't realize how much time had passed, as my pen kept "drawing" the pictures I had in my head, when Rob plopped down on his towel next to me.

"Thank you for bringing me here." I said finishing up m chapter. A full-stop and it was all done.

"Like I said before, it's no problem. Do you want to go for that swim now?" He asked as his hand reached and grabbed mine. The thought of pulling my hand out of his crossed my mind for a second, but I decided against it.

"Yeah, I do. How long was I writing?" I asked him.

"About an hour. Maybe more." He replied shrugging.

"An hour?" I asked surprised and he nodded. "You should've come sooner. Let me put these away and we'll go." I said lifting my notepad and pen up.

"Sure." He quickly withdrew his hand and got up looking around, but kept stealing glances down at me probably to see if I was done. When I was, he offered me his hand and lifted me up before we went towards the sea.

He got in first since he was used to the sea water unlike me who wasn't so accustomed to cold water. Cold in comparison to the hot water of the showers I often took of course. When I finally dove in we started splashing around, he lifted me up and threw me in many times and we generally fooled around. When we got a little tired though, we just swam. Even though I didn't even glance at him, I knew he wouldn't stop looking at me because I could feel his eyes on me.

After a while, he took a long dive in, so I let myself float on my back until I felt a pair of hands rubbing my sides 'causing me to straighten up only to find no one there. I pushed my face into the water opening my eyes and I would swear I saw the face of the mystery-guy. I pulled back almost immediately and looked down, but I didn't find him there. Someone tickled my sides and I spun around laughing to find Rob's mischievous eyes bearing into mine. He got so close to me that our legs were touching as they moved to keep us above the water. I was sure he would lean in to kiss me in that moment and he did as my eyes closed, but right before his lips touched mine, he suddenly swam away from me. I was hurt to say the least, but quickly composed myself and opened my eyes to find him a few meters away from me with a confused look on his face.

"How about we go to Ronnie's now?" I suggested ignoring what played around in my mind then.

"Um… sure." He said shaking his head once before he started swimming after me outside. We reached out towels and went to dry ourselves off so we could wear our clothes. When we were ready, we walked towards Ronnie's diner in complete silence. For the first time since the few hours I spent with him, it was an uncomfortable one.

The awkwardness of the almost kiss and his pulling away so abruptly was still lingering. We sat at the first table we encountered and when Ronnie came to take our order and meet me, Rob introduced us awkwardly. Ronnie joked much in an attempt to put the tension at ease without much success due to the fact that I barely paid attention to them. My mind kept going back to when I dipped my head in and came face to face with the person I thought I had seen the previous night and longed to see. There was also the feeling of someone's hands, that gentle rub against my sides, which I felt a little before Rob almost kissed me…

"… Sally?" The sound of my name made me turn my attention to the boys again. It seemed Ronnie was the one to say it.

"Excuse me, what did you say? I was a bit distracted." I sort of explained.

"I asked if you're sure you want to trust Rob with your order. He has the weirdest of tastes." Ronnie answered as Rob cowered back. In embarrassment, I guessed?

"Yeah, I eat everything anyway." I replied smiling.

"Sure. I'll get everything started then." He said before walking back inside. Another silence… Till Rob broke it.

"I'm sorry about what happened in the water." He said looking down.

"Don't worry about it." I said back without even thinking.

"Let me explain…" He tried to blame his pulling away on some current of water, saying that he never wanted or intended to pull away, but of course I couldn't believe that. If that was the case, he would just do it then or when we got out of the water. He could have stopped me from walking and show me that he did indeed _want _to kiss me. But he never did, so I couldn't believe these excuses. I just kept nodding and looking at him till Ronnie came with our food. The moment Ronnie came close, another silence washed over us. Even after he walked away, we ate our food without even looking at one another. We split the bill, got in his car and drove to Nick's place. He tried to be a gentleman and open the door for me but I got out before he came to my side. He just managed to hold and close it for me.

"Thanks for showing me that spot." I said smiling despite everything.

"My pleasure." He replied and as I was looking at him, my eyes darted behind him and my eyes went wide. "Do you think we'd be able to do it again?" I didn't answer. I closed out distance and spun him around.

"Do you see that guy? The one in the blue trunks and white shirt?" I asked pointing to the guy in order to help Rob.

"Yes, I do." He replied and looked at me. "Did I blow it today…?" He asked and it was obvious he meant the almost kiss.

"You did." I said not looking at him. Just the guy behind him. "You're sure see that guy, right?"

"I'm sure. Should I leave?" He asked looking down disappointed.

"Stay if you want. I mean you're Nick's friend after all." I said and walked towards the guy. I tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around. "Excuse me, sir…" He turned around and every muscle in my body went numb.

"Hello, Sally." My mystery-guy greeted smiling…

**Guys, I hope you enjoyed this and weren't bothered by the lengthy descriptions too much. I just had a very nice picture in my mind of my summer holidays and felt like sharing it with you. Tony said they made the rest of chapter perfect, but he's biased so mind giving me your opinion as well? :)**

**Catherine & Tony P.**


	5. Poseidon

**Chapter 5: Poseidon**

_Previously_

"_Excuse me, sir…" He turned around and every muscle in my body went numb._

"_Hello, Sally." My mystery-guy greeted smiling._

**Sally's POV**

I stood there staring at him. With Haley doubting me whenever I brought it up since the day before, I wasn't sure myself if I had seen him the previous night. But there he stood, smiling at me like he had when he passed me the money for his sweets eight months before. His black hair messed up and wet as if he had just come out of the sea, his beard had a few droplets of water I assumed, his breathtaking green eyes boring into me like they had so much time ago. Nothing seemed different about him as I had remembered the previous night. Nothing except his clothing of course. Unlike the business suit he had been wearing when I first met him, he then wore an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt that made shook me off my feet if I wanted to be honest, a pair of khaki Bermuda shorts and some sandals. It was a perfect summer outfit of a man that was on vacation. But I still had doubts about what I saw in front of me.

"You're real, right?" I had to ask. I needed to. He started laughing. A booming laugh filled the air.

"Can't get any more real than this." He answered when he had stopped laughing.

"Sally, do you know this guy?" Someone said from behind me.

"Huh?" I _cleverly _breathed and looked back. I had totally forgotten about Rob! But before I had time to try and explain to him that I did know the mystery-guy, even if I didn't know his name, someone got me.

"Yes, she does. My name's Poseidon. Sally and I met a few months back." The mystery-guy answered. So… Poseidon. Interesting name.

"Oh okay…" Rob trailed off obviously unsure of how to proceed. I took it upon myself to guide him since I got out of my trance.

"Yap, weren't you going inside now Rob? I'm sure Nick would love to talk to you." I said trying to get him to leave me and _Poseidon _alone.

"Um… okay, I will." He said and I heard him walk away, but I didn't avert my eyes from the guy in front of me. I had spent months just trying to imagine him, then all of a sudden I had him standing just a few inches away from me, so I wouldn't look away in fear he might disappear again as suddenly as he came.

"Your boyfriend seems to be looking at me weird." Poseidon said when the sound of Rob's footsteps faded in the summer air.

"What boyfriend?" I wondered aloud confused and he motioned behind me. "Oh, you mean Rob? He's not my boyfriend, just a friend." I said quickly. I wasn't sure Rob was my friend, let alone boyfriend.

"Just a friend…" He repeated pursing his eyebrows. "Sure."

"So…" I trailed off not knowing how to proceed.

"So..?" He asked still smiling. That smile was pretty distracting.

"I don't know?" I said with a questioning tone. He just laughed before turning to kind of serious.

"Okay, how about…. How have you been these months?" He suggested and motioned towards the beach in front of Nick's house with his hand. I nodded and we started walking towards it.

"Writing and working at Mrs. Ruby's I guess." I answered honestly.

"Mrs. Ruby's, huh? Those sweets you chose that day were delicious by the way." He said and looked away blushing. I couldn't help but find it cute…

"Understandable. Everything Mrs. Ruby makes is delicious. But now how have you been?" I asked to keep up the conversation.

"Working. The sea needs a lot of work." He answered as we plopped down on the sand and he looked over at the sea and how calm it was. The sound of the low waves at the shore and how gently they touched the sand was a soothing one.

"The sea? Are you some kind of sailor or something?" I asked.

"Or something. But it takes a lot of my time and that's why I hadn't been able to come buy some more of those sweets and…" He trailed off and looked away again.

"And…?" I pushed a little suggestively.

"And see you." He admitted and my smile couldn't get any wider at that point. I decided to change the subject then since we were at the spot I had him seen him the previous night. "So was it you that I saw last night here?" I asked. I wanted to be sure I did see him and not imagined him. His being right next to me wasn't a reassurance enough. Just an indication.

"Yeah, I was… having a run. I stopped here to… catch my breath for a moment before I continued. Why? Did you see me?" He asked wary. I waited a moment before I answered him, because all of a sudden a few waves appeared at the surface of the sea a few feet away from us.

"I did. Unusual attire for a run though." I said laughing a little as I remembered what he was wearing the night before.

"What did you see me in?" He asked uneasy. A lot more uneasy that he should've been. Or that's what I thought. But why was he asking me that. What else could I have seen him in other than what he was wearing?

"A costume I'm guessing. Some kind of warrior thing?" I asked unsure. "Don't you think it's a little early for Halloween though?" I asked giggling.

"Um… Yeah, I guess." He replied and seemed to calm down a little. "So what are you writing about?" He asked seeming genuinely interested in my writing. But…

"A book, but it's not finished yet, so I can't say much about it. I've always wanted to be an author, but…" I stopped. It was way too soon to reveal so much about my life. I changed the subject before he could press for information. "Anyway… What are you going here? Holiday with the wife or girlfriend?" I asked, but my heart sank at my own question.

"Not really. I'm not married nor do I have a girlfriend." He said looking at me, probably to see my reaction. I wondered what he saw in my smile and blush that made him smile in return.

"I'm just taking some time off from work. What about you though?" He asked smiling.

"The house behind us is owned by Haley's boyfriend, Nick. Haley's my best friend and since they would be coming here for a month with some other people, they asked if I wanted to join them. I needed some time off, so now I'm here." I answered looking at the sea laying out in front of us. "I wasn't so sure in the beginning but now I'm glad I came."

"Me too." He breathed. That's when I realized how close we really were. I could feel his breath against my ear tickling me. I turned my head slightly and found him looking down at me. Only a few short inches between our lips. Inches he left up to me to either cover or pull back from him. Something about this guy magnetized me and before I knew it, my hand was on his cheek and I was closing the gap between us. My lips touched his and I could feel the smile that played on his. Our kiss didn't last more than ten seconds though because my phone rang in my bag and he pulled back. But not much. "You should get that."

"I should." I said back and kissed him again not making a single move for it in my bag.

"You should do it while it's still ringing." He added chuckling. I made a face before pulling back completely and reached for my phone. I looked at the caller ID and saw it was Haley. I hesitated in the beginning and tensed up. But I answered after a moment.

"What do you want Haley?" I asked rather coldly.

"I was wondering if you'd come for dinner. We're ordering pizza, so…" Her tone was a lot warmer than in the morning and it softened me up a little.

"Hold on." I said and put my hand over the speaker turning to Poseidon. "Would you like to join me for some pizza in the house?" I asked him.

"Sure." He simply replied moving his hands and lips to my left shoulder. I shivered. I took my hand off the speaker and spoke into the phone.

"Yeah, I will. Get one for me and two cokes." I told Haley.

"One whole pizza and two cokes for you? You barely eat two pieces and drink one coke." She said surprised and I could imagine her pushing her hair back like she always did when she was confused about anything.

"I'm not alone…" I bit my lip trying not to make any sounds when Poseidon moved his mouth to my neck. "I gotta go." I said and snapped the phone shut. "What do you think you're doing there mister?" I asked him and he breathed against my neck.

"I'm not resisting the temptation." He said. When he pulled back, he ran his eyes along my body before resting them on mine. I looked at myself then and realized I was still in just a pair of shorts from when I returned with Rob from our outing.

"Aren't you rushing a bit? I mean it's basically the first time we're out alone. My selling you some sweets doesn't count 'cause…" He cut me off with a quick kiss.

"Relax. I was just enjoying the view." He said stroking my cheek.

"Kissing my neck isn't enjoying the view." I pointed out.

"No, that was me relaxing you." He said and leaned in to kiss my cheek.

"Um… how about we go to the house, so I can have a shower and change?" I suggested quite self-conscious in that moment.

"Sure." He got up and offered me his hand. "Let's go." He got me up and we walked to Nick's house. About halfway he slipped his hand in mine and we kept on with our stroll. We got to the balcony and slipped inside only to find Haley, Nick, Rob and the rest laying around in the living room. Everyone's eyes snapped to us, but Rob's stayed for only a second before he turned back to the TV to watch whatever was on.

"Um, hi." I said a little embarrassed having brought a guy to a house I was a guest myself without asking. Nick just smiled, pretending or really I had no idea, and got up to greet us.

"Hey Sally." He greeted me and extended his hand to Poseidon next to me. "Hi, I'm Nick."

"Nice to meet you. My name's Poseidon." He replied and shook Nick's hand.

"Poseidon? Isn't that the name of a Greek God?" Haley asked slipping next to her boyfriend.

"You must be Haley." He said and she nodded. "Yes, it is."

"You parents must have had a thing for Greek mythology like the girl next to you." She said.

"Something like that." Poseidon said chuckling.

"Um, yeah…" I turned to him. "I'll go for that shower. Mind waiting here?"

"Not at all. Take your time." He said smiling.

"Okay." I said and went upstairs, but Haley soon followed me and stopped when I was out of the rest's sight.

"What are you doing?" She asked holding my hand in a tight grip.

"Going for a shower." I answered, even though I knew she didn't mean that.

"You know what I mean. Who is this guy? What happened with Rob?" She asked.

"That guy is the one you've been hearing about for the past eight months and it's not his fault Rob and I wouldn't work out even for a week. He blew his chance himself." I answered.

"What? That's the mystery-guy?" She asked surprised forgetting all about Rob in an instant. Poseidon sure was a much more interesting subject.

"He is. Now can I go for that shower?" I asked coldly.

"Sal… I'm sorry." She said looking down.

"What about? You just told the truth, right?" I said and took my arm away from hers.

"No, it's not the truth. You're nowhere near what I called you in the morning. You just thought of yourself for the first time in your life and it's strange considering I'm the one that thinks of herself most of the time." She apologized.

"Try all the time." I corrected.

"Yeah, all the time. I'm sorry." She said keeping her head down. I didn't say anything, just went to my room, got my things and went to the bathroom. When I got out of the shower, Haley wasn't there. She must've gone downstairs, so I just went to my room and changed before going downstairs. As if on cue with my arrival, Haley decided to ask Poseidon something. "So Poseidon, where have you been the past few months?"

"I've been working." He said as I went to sit next to him. "The sea is difficult to tame so I had my hands full."

"The sea? You're what? A sailor or something?" Rob asked and seemed to be a little agitated.

"Or something." Poseidon and I said at the same time. We looked at each other and smiled. Before anyone could say anything though, the doorbell rang. The pizzas were there, so we all got up and went to help. Poseidon and I took our pizza and cokes, before we went upstairs to my room.

"Your friends seem nice." He said closing the door with his foot.

"I guess they are." I said halfheartedly remembering the argument I had with Haley.

"Should I ask what happened between you and your best friend?" He asked sitting on my bed.

"Nope." I said poking my tongue out at him. "How about a movie while we're eating?"

"Sounds good to me… Under one condition." He added after a little pause.

"Which is..?" I trailed off expectantly.

"You sit right here." He said pointing on his lap. I thought about it before I answered. Sitting on his lap while watching a movie was something I had many times imagined, but now that could be true, I hesitated a little. But I wanted it more than the doubts stopped me.

"Hmm… I can live with that." I said before pushing the play button on the remote and sat on his lap with the box of pizza in front of us. The movie played on, we ate and joked around, but I didn't watch a single second of the movie. Especially when he put his arms around me. I felt like I lost the ground beneath me. As time went by, my eyes became heavier and heavier, till I leaned back against his shoulder which was the last thing I remembered.

**Sorry for the lack of updates, but our first exams in university are coming up, so studying has taken up a hell of lot of time, so we weren't able to update. Since we're starting next week, we felt like updating before the exams, so that the ones reading this, wouldn't have to wait another month. You've waited oneish so, it shouldn't be twoish, right? Anyway, we hope you enjoyed this. **

**Catherine & Tony P.**


	6. AN, not a new chapter

**I honestly can't believe it's been a little over a year since I last updated... I'm sorry guys. Really sorry. My life got messed up, all in a single night too. Well, I'm not looking for sympathy or whatever (in fact it'd probably get me mad...), just wanted to say sorry for how late an update for this is. I've promised I'm going to finish this story and I will, but the problem is i don't know when I'll be able to. So it's up to you whether you'll wait to read on or just forget the story altogether. Ohh and because when the time comes I'll delete this chapter and replace it with the update, don't review on this. If you have any comments about this, just PM me. The people who have PMed me before know that I always reply to your messages no matter how messed up I feel or am. **

**Again, sorry for the lack of updates the past year. Bye. **

**Catherine**


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